James Drury, star of 'The Virginian,' has roots in Salem James Drury, star of 'The Virginian,' has roots in Salem The actor reminisces about his childhood and his role in the popular western TV series. Post to Facebook James Drury, star of 'The Virginian,' has roots in Salem The actor reminisces about his childhood and his role in the popular western TV series. Check out this story on statesmanjournal.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 6 Activate your digital access. James Drury, star of 'The Virginian,' has roots in Salem Capi Lynn , Statesman Journal Published 5:00 a.m. PT April 26, 2014 | Updated 7:24 p.m. PT April 26, 2014 Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. James Drury, who grew up in Salem, was the star of the western TV series "The Virginian," which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971.

Courtesy of TheVirginian.net James Drury, who grew up in Salem, played the tough but charming ranch foreman in the 1960s TV western "The Virginian." Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Fullscreen Buy Photo This copy of an autographed photo of Salem native James Drury, who starred in the popular western TV series "The Virginian," was discovered in the Statesman Journal archives. Statesman Journal Archives Salem native James Drury starred in the popular western TV series "The Virginian" from 1962 to 1971. Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Fullscreen Buy Photo James Drury, who grew up in Salem, has more than 30 credits in television and movies, but he is best known for playing the lead role in "The Virginian." The western TV series aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971. Statesman Journal Archives Doug McClure (left) and James Drury were the only actors who had roles in The Virginian from the start of the nine-year western TV series to the end. Drury grew up in Salem.

Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Fullscreen Buy Photo James Drury, the star of "The Virginian," is shown in this undated photo taken in Salem with his parents, Beatrice and James Drury Sr. Drury grew up in both Salem and New York, where his father was a professor. Statesman Journal Archives Fullscreen Buy Photo Salem native James Drury, who was the star of western TV series "The Virginian," in a rare photo without his trademark black hat. Statesman Journal Archives Salem native James Drury spent a lot of time in saddle as the star of "The Virginian," a popular western TV series that aired from 1962 to 1971. Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Salem native James Drury (right) was among the cast in "Love Me Tender," Elvis Presley's film debut.

Drury has more than 30 credits in television and movies, but is best known for his starring role in "The Virginian." Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Salem native James Drury played the tough but charming ranch foreman in the popular TV series "The Virginian." Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Fullscreen Buy Photo James Drury, star of "The Virginian," in an undated photograph taken during a visit to Salem. He grew up in both Salem, where his mother's family had a ranch, and New York, where his father was a college professor. Statesman Journal Archives Fullscreen James Drury, who grew up in Salem, was the star of popular western TV series "The Virginian." His horse had a name in the show, Joe D., but he didn't. He was the nameless ranch foreman for the entire nine-year run of the show. Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Salem native James Drury, star of popular western TV series "The Virginian," still wears that trademark black hat. Courtesy of TheVirginian.net James Drury's love for horses began on his grandfather's ranch just south of Salem.

Drury, who went to McKinley Elementary School and Leslie Junior High, went on to star in the popular western TV series "The Virginian." Courtesy of TheVirginian.net Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay James Drury, who grew up in Salem, was the star of the western TV series "The Virginian," which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971. (Photo: Courtesy of TheVirginian.net) He attended McKinley Elementary School and Leslie Junior High. He patterned his character in "The Virginian" after his maternal grandfather. He rode horses with Gov. Tom McCall in a parade in Salem in 1972. 130 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 6 COMMENTEMAILMORE If you don't know the name, I bet your father or your grandfather does. James Drury. He starred in " The Virginian ," a popular western television series that aired from 1962 to 1971. What your father and grandfather may not know is that Drury spent much of his childhood in the Salem area on the family ranch. My dad had no idea, and he's a big fan.

I made sure to mention the latter part in my recent phone interview with Drury, who lives in Houston and turned 80 on April 18. Drury, who rode his classy white Appaloosa into America's living rooms, is still popular with his posse, a group of some 1,640 fans who belong to a fan club of sorts on Facebook. The horse had a name in "The Virginian," — it was Joe D. — but the man never did in 249 episodes. (That's the official number, which Drury challenges: "I was there. We did 296. I don't know where they all are.") His character was called simply "The Virginian," which added to his mystique. He wore a black hat, vest and pants, with a red corduroy shirt that stood out in the first color western series on TV. Drury still wears the trademark black hat. He has more than 50 and always wears one when he makes appearances at western events, festivals and autograph shows. He usually flies in his assistant, Karen Lindsey from Ohio, to take care of the details. "So he can do all he can to be Mr.

Wonderful — and he is wonderful," said Lindsey, who also is the keeper of his official website, TheVirginian.net. "He is very charismatic." I gathered that right away on the phone, and I couldn't wait to tell my dad that I spent nearly an hour shootin' the breeze with The Virginian. (Photo: Courtesy of TheVirginian.net) Man in the black hat Drury has something like 30 television and movie credits to his name, but admits his success in the third-longest running TV western behind "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza" actually put a hitch in his career. "Since then it's been very hard to get employment," he said. "Producers and directors, even today, see me as the man in the black hat. They can't see past that." Drury made appearances on other westerns, such as " Gunsmoke ," " The Rifleman ," " Rawhide ," and " Death Valley Days ," before being chosen for the role in "The Virginian." He was tough but tender as the foreman of Shiloh Ranch, with good looks, polite manners and deadly aim, the whole package for a cowboy.

Drury told me he patterned the character after his maternal grandfather, John Hezekiah Crawford, a Willamette Valley farmer and rancher. "I don't know if I ever told him that in so many words," Drury said. "He was just tickled pink with the show. To me, he was always a hero." His grandfather had a 100-acre ranch just south of Salem near Ankeny Hill, which Drury's nephew now owns. Before that his grandfather had a farm on Brown's Island, which is part of Minto-Brown Island Park. His mother, Beatrice, grew up there and graduated from Willamette University. When she went to New York to do her graduate work, she met James Drury Sr., a professor of marketing at New York University. Young James spent his childhood between homes in New York and Oregon. (Photo: Courtesy of TheVirginian.net) Parading on horseback Drury attended McKinley Elementary School and Leslie Junior High. He played football at Leslie for all of one scrimmage, getting knocked unconscious by a much bigger player. He was much better at acting and caught the bug at an early age, in part because of the ambitions of his mother.

She always wanted him and his brother to be child actors, and they made many trips to Southern California to pursue those dreams. "She took us to every audition and cattle call," Drury said. "We never got a job." He studied acting and majored in drama at New York University. At the end of his junior year, while vacationing in California, he signed a contract with MGM and never returned. Drury was last in Salem in 1992, when his mother died. One of his most public visits was 20 years before that, on Aug. 18, 1972, when he was grand marshal of the parade celebrating the opening of the Vern Miller Civic Center. He and Gov. Tom McCall rode horses from the old city hall to the new one. "Gov. McCall and Gov. Hatfield were friends of ours," Drury said. He told me he would love to return. All it would take is $2,000 — his appearance fee — plus 50 cents a mile. As for accommodations, he doesn't want for anything fancy. His assistant said he prefers to stay in a motel, requesting a smoking room on the ground floor.

These boots are driving Drury is proud to know that reruns of "The Virginian" on INSP (the Inspiration Network) are entertaining a new generation. He's had many people tell him their grandchildren love the show. "There are lessons they can't get anywhere else," Drury said. "A Western is a reality play. It must show triumph over evil. People of all ages love seeing the bad guys getting trumped in the end." Last summer, Drury logged 10,000 miles on his 2008 Crown Victoria to make appearances in North Dakota, Tennessee and points in between. He doesn't fly, and hasn't since 9/11, because of the changes made in airport security. "They make you take your boots off," he said. "I don't care for that. I understand the need, but I don't have to put up with it." Drury recently was in Oklahoma City for his co-star Doug McClure's posthumous induction to the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Drury was inducted in 1991. He and his wife, Carl Ann, have eight children between them.

One of Drury's sons is Timothy Drury, a former keyboardist for the Eagles and Whitesnake. Out of the saddle Drury is serious about wanting to come back to Salem for a visit. He has fond memories of his childhood on the family ranch. It was there, on Bunker Hill Road, where his grandfather taught him all about farming and horses. One of his earliest memories, at the age of about 3, is when his grandfather plopped him on the back of a Belgian plow horse. "My feet were sticking straight out because the horse's back was so broad," Drury said. "I loved the smell of the horse and the dust. That's when I fell in love with horses." His grandfather also taught him about being an outdoorsman and a marksman, skills that came in handy for his role in "The Virginian." "I don't know that it helped me get the part, but it certainly helped me play the part," Drury said.

"I was able to get on an old horse and ride off into the sunset right away." Learn more about James Drury online: The Official Website of James Drury The Virginian - Home Home If it's not true, don't say it If it's not yours, don't take it If it's not right, don't do it Join the Virginian Posse fan group JAMES DRURY, the one true "Virginian" by whom all others are measured, is the star of the first 90-minute color western TV series, "The Virginian", which aired from 1962-1971. "The Virginian" is the third longest running western series in the history of television. The television series was adapted from the 1902 Owen Wister western novel, "The Virginian, A Horseman of the Plains". Like in the novel, the lead character was never given a name other than the Virginian. James Drury used that to his advantage in creating a mysterious air surrounding the Shiloh ranch foreman.

“Nobody knows the name of my character,” James Drury says, “not even me.” An Oral History by James Drury ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IF YOU couldn't attend THE VIRGINIAN REUNION 2016 at Cowboy Up for Vets. You can still get the T-shirt. Click link for sizes and pricing. Cowboy Up for Vets 2016 with The Virginian Reunion raised $16,000 for our Veterans. The Virginian Cast at Dinner with the Stars _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Virginian 2012 Ireland James Drury The Virginian was an American Western-themed television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. It was the first Western to air in 90-minute installments each week and was filmed in the color format from its inception. The Virginian is the third longest running TV western with its nine seasons and 249 episodes.

Loosely based on the Owen Wister novel, the series revolves around a foreman, played by James Drury, who goes by the name The Virginian; his real name was never revealed in the nine years the show was on the air. The series takes place in Medicine Bow, Wyoming, and revolves around The Virginian's quest to maintain an orderly lifestyle for the ranch he works on, which is called Shiloh Ranch. Home TV Westerns - The VirginianFiftiesWeb TV Westerns Color – 90 minutes – 249 episodes Sept 1962 -Sept. 1971 Wed 7:30-9:00 Based on the book, The Virginian, by Owen Wister (1902) Men From Shiloh James Drury as The Virginian Doug McClure as Trampas Lee J.

Cobb as Judge Henry Garth (1962-66) Gary Clarke as Steve Hill (1962-64) Pippa Scott as Molly Wood (1962-1963) Roberta Shore as Betsy Garth (1962-65) Randy Boone as Randy Benton (1963-66) Clu Gulager as Deputy Emmett Ryker (1964-68) David Hartman as David Sutton (1968-1969) The Grainger Family… Charles Bickford as John Grainger (1966-67) Don Quine as Stacey Grainger (1966-68) Sara Lane as Elizabeth Grainger (1966-70) John McIntire as Clay Grainger (1967-70) Jeanette Nolan as Holly Grainger (1967-70) Men From Shiloh… Stewart Granger as Col.

Alan MacKenzie Lee Majors as Roy Tate The Virginian Theme Song “Virginian Theme” music by Percy Faith The Men From Shiloh Theme Song “Men From Shiloh Theme” music by Ennio Morricone The Virginian Tidbits “When you call me that, smile.” Virginian was the first of the 90 minute Westerns. Taken from the Owen Wister novel, and four feature films, the show starred James Drury as the Virginian, and no, we never learned his real name. The Virginian was a man coping with change and trying to live by a strict moral code. The story is set toward the turn of the century in Medicene Bow, Wyoming. Foreman of the Shiloh Ranch, the Virginian is assisted by Trampas (Doug McClure) and the two are the only characters to complete the run of the show. The Shiloh Ranch changed hands several times. First we had Judge Henry Garth (Lee J. Cobb), then briefly Morgan Starr (John Dehner) and then the Grainger family moved in.

At first it was John Grainger (Charles Bickford) but when Bickford died, his brother Clay (John Mcintire) took over. McIntire had just finished as wagonmaster on Wagon Train and for this show, brought along real life wife Jeanette Nolan as Holly Grainger. Then the powers than be in studio heaven decided to change the name of the show to Men From Shiloh in 1970. Don’t ask. Slumping ratings, demographics, the usual. They even got a new theme song written by Ennio Morricone. In what was to be the last season, the Virginian and Trampas greeted the newest owner, Col. Alan MacKenzie (Stewart Granger), an Englishman. Lee Majors, fresh from Big Valley, came over as Roy Tate. Passings Doug McClure died in 1995 of lung cancer. Lee J. Cobb in 1976, Charles Bickford in 1967, John McIntire in 1991, and Stewart Granger in 1993 of cancer.

James Drury James Drury - Biography - IMDb James Drury Biography Showing all 51 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (3) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (25) | Personal Quotes (16) Overview (4) 6' (1.83 m) Mini Bio (1) James Drury was born on April 18, 1934 in New York City, New York, USA as James Child Drury. He is an actor, known for The Virginian (1962), Forbidden Planet (1956) and Ride the High Country (1962). He has been married to Carl Ann Head since July 30, 1979. He was previously married to Phyllis Mitchell and Cristall Othoneos (Orton). Spouse (3) Smoky, gravelly voice. Trivia (25) Following bit parts in films in the late '50s, he became a "second lead" for Disney until winning the title role of The Virginian (1962).

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1991. Father of Timothy Drury, musician. In 1971 he appeared in Finland for four appearances in different Mid-Summer festivals. At the time he was very popular there after having been in the TV series The Virginian (1962). He was told that kind of reception he got in Finland was like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra got in the US. Trained as a classical actor at New York University by perform in works by such writers as William Shakespeare to George Bernard Shaw , he eventually relocated to California. Recorded a series of novels by acclaimed western author Kirby Jonas for a books-on-tape company called Books in Motion. Settled in Houston in the mid-1970s and has been in and out of the oil and natural gas business since. Son Timothy Drury is a keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist who has played with The Eagles and is a member of the British group Whitesnake . In 1997 and 2003 he was a guest at the Western Film Fair in Charlotte, NC.

At the 2003 show he was reunited with The Virginian (1962) cast members Gary Clarke , Randy Boone , and Roberta Shore . The son of a New York University professor of marketing, he was born in New York City but later grew up on a ranch in Oregon where he developed an affinity for horses and the outdoor life. Best known by the public for his starring role as the title character in The Virginian (1962). He was a guest at the 2012 Memphis Film Festival's "A Gathering of Guns 4: A TV Western Reunion" at the Whispering Woods Hotel and Conference Center in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Guest-starred on the first three episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993). His idols when he was very young were Randolph Scott , Joel McCrea and Jane Wyman . Met Robert Horton and Robert Fuller when the three were under contract at MGM in 1954. Despite staying on The Virginian (1962) for the entire run, it was impossible for both Drury and Doug McClure to appear in all 249 episodes, because it was a 90-minute show.

Since 1976 he has resided in Houston, TX. Has been riding horses since birth. Surrogate son of Lee J. Cobb . He is a staunch Republican. He is widely known to be a social butterfly. Credits Lee J. Cobb as his favorite acting mentor/best friend. Friends with: Robert Fuller , John Smith , Doug McClure , Adam West , Alan Hale Jr. , Michael Landon , James Arness , Clu Gulager , James Best , Denver Pyle , Chuck Norris , Bobby Troup , Beverly Garland , Clint Walker , Andy Griffith , Larry Hagman , Pernell Roberts , Dan Blocker , Lorne Greene , Don Collier , Barbara Stanwyck , Linda Evans , Lee Majors , Brian Keith , Peter Mark Richman , Claude Akins , Hugh O'Brian , Chuck Courtney , Robert Horton , Alex Cord , Abby Dalton , Ruta Lee , Chuck Connors , Robert Crawford Jr. and his brother Johnny Crawford , Yul Brynner , James Gregory , Raymond Burr , Joel McCrea , John McIntire , Terry Wilson , Denny Miller , Bernie Kopell , Dan Haggerty , Roberta Shore , Julie Adams , L.Q. Jones and Robert Conrad .

Personal Quotes (16) [referring to his title role on The Virginian (1962)] Nobody knows the name of my character. Not even me. I was a brand-new contract player at MGM in 1954, and I was 20 years old, and the studio undertook to make a property called "Raintree County" [eventually made as Raintree County (1957)], with Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor . And I wanted the Montgomery Clift role much, and I told everybody about it that I wanted to play. I read the book, and I thought it was a wonderful role and I wanted to play. Obviously, nobody listened to me, Montgomery Clift played the role, and did a great job, but I always regretted that I didn't get a chance at that, because I like the property, the property gave me goosebumps when I read it, and I wanted to participate putting it on film. It was not to be and I had no regrets about it. I was very disappointed at the time that I couldn't make any headway, but that's the way life is.

Owen Wister designed the character in 1902 when he came out with the novel, without a name. So you automatically assumed 'The Virginian' has some secrets [he'd rather not divulge], and there's an aura [that an] actor who plays the part carries with him as he comes through the door. [on the death of Doug McClure ] He was very instrumental in the success of the show and probably the best friend I ever had, and we lost him. He died too young, he was only 59, but you think about him everyday. [When asked if he knew Julie London through his best friend Robert Fuller ] No, I had known Bobby Troup , her husband, very well, [we'd] done several shows together. But I never really knew Julie, except just to meet her. Bobby [Fuller] became their very lifelong friend . . . but I never spent any time on the road with her, [although] I think Bobby Fuller did. Bobby Troup and I did Perry Mason (1957) and we did several other shows before he ever started Emergency! (1972).

It was a family affair on "Emergency!" except for Fuller, and he didn't really want to do a modern show, he wanted to do another western, but Jack Webb [the producer of "Emergency!"] talked him into it or insisted that he do it, and he was [eventually] very happy, because it was a great success and he had a wonderful time with Julie London and . . . Bobby Troup. [on giving out acting advice] I think it's more of a question than listening to the other actors, because if you listen, they want to find out what you're going to do. By no means, trying to upstage anyone or anything like that, just listening to what they're saying and the eyes will come because of the anticipation, it's what you're going to respond. [Of Robert Fuller ] He's really a magnificent, gifted actor and a fine professional, and he was able to work with these people very effectively in all those different series that he did, and I had nothing but admiration for him; he's one of my best friends, so it's nice that we're still in contact and quite often.

[about the popularity of The Virginian (1962)]: It was the first 90-minute Western on TV, and that gave our writers an opportunity to explore detailed stories," he said. "It was like doing a movie every week. We also had a wonderful cast of continuing characters, and with the great writing, the finest actors in Hollywood wanted guest starring roles - George C. Scott, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Robert Redford come to mind. Every day I'd go off to the set excited about the wonderful actors I'd be working with. [on his Texas residence]: Texas has been good to me. I've worked with many great horse trainers here and up through Oklahoma. I love it all - the dust, the sweat, the sunshine and the smell of the horses. [Who spent most of his childhood in both New York and Oregon]: I was under care of my maternal grandfather who had come west with a wagon train when he was about 16. He told me about the Indians fights the wagon train was involved in and all the other different things that happened. So I had a real pipeline into the Old West.

[When he began as an unfamiliar actor]: I signed a contract with 20th century fox and did a series of films with them, was Love Me Tender with Elvis Presley. That was a great moment. I started acting at age eight. I was forced to do a play in Manhattan and was cast as King Henry in a bible play. When people began clapping at the end of the play, I realized there was nothing I wanted more than to be on the stage. [As to why it was impossible for himself to appear in each and every episode of The Virginian (1962)]: The majority of...episodes were shot in eight days. When we started out, they took about ten days. They decided they couldn't afford that much time because we aired the episodes every five days (excluding weekends). To keep up with the airing schedule, we had to run multiple units--as many as four or five different episodes filming at the same time.

I would ride my horse or take the studio limousine back and forth between the sets to do my two line piece in one episode, ten pages of dialogue in another episode, do a cattle drive in another episode, a wild horse drive in another, and then a gunfight and a robbery in yet another episode. I had to keep everything straight and it was absolutely no problem and a joy to do. I would do it all over again tomorrow. I was able to accomplish just about everything I set out to do as an actor. [About his hometown]: Texas has been good to me. I've worked with many great horse trainers here and up through Oklahoma. I love it all - the dust, the sweat, the sunshine and the smell of the horses. I've been riding horses since I was in diapers. My grandfather put me on his Belgian plow horse when I was just a toddler. The animal was so broad, my legs stuck straight out on both sides like I was doing the splits. It's one of my earliest memories.

See also Official James Drury and The Virginian TV Series Channel - YouTube Official James Drury and The Virginian TV Series Channel The next video is starting stop James Drury, The Virginian - The Man with No Name 43,139 views 3 years ago Video from INSP - James Drury and the Virginian Cast talk about 'the man with no name'. Show less An Oral History by James Drury Produced by Maxine Hanson and Bob Fisher Gene Autry Entertainment ‘The Virginian’ turns 80, recalls Oregon roots - Rural Life - Capital Press Home Ag Sectors Rural Life ‘The Virginian’ turns 80, recalls Oregon roots Ranchers and farmers, particularly those over 50, grew up watching James Drury as "The Virginian" on television. The actor turned 80 and talked to Capital Press about growing up on his family's ranch in Salem. Capital Press Published on April 17, 2014 8:43AM Photo provided "The Virginian" still shows Saturdays on INSP, the Inspiration Network, 52 years after it began on NBC.

Actor James Drury, who grew up on a Salem, Ore., ranch, turned 80 on April 18. He’s probably the last actor alive who portrayed a lead character in the golden age of the Western series on television. James Drury, who starred in “The Virginian” on NBC from 1962 to 1971, turns 80 on April 18. The show, based on Owen Wister’s novel of the same name and set in Medicine Bow, Wyo., still airs on INSP, the Inspiration Network, on Saturdays. In honor of his birthday, the network was to air two of Drury’s favorite episodes and never-before-seen footage of him discussing those episodes, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT, April 18. An encore is set for 8 p.m. EDT, April 19. Drury has lived in Houston, Texas, with his wife, Carl Ann, for 40 years. He was born in New York City, but grew up on his parents’ farms and ranches in Oregon in the 1930s and 40s.

Most of that time was on a 100-acre ranch on Bunker Hill Road, just south of Salem that is still owned by his nephew, Victor Cobos. “I patterned my Virginian character after my maternal grandfather, John Hezekiah Crawford, an Oregon dirt farmer and rancher who raised cattle. He came out to Oregon with a wagon train in 1880 or 1875,” Drury told Capital Press in an April 15 interview. “He lived with us and I was close to him as my father worked in New York City,” Drury said. “Granddad put me on my first horse when I was in diapers. He had a big team of Belgian draft horses. He put me on one and I stayed up there all day. I’ve been crazy about horses ever since.” His grandfather instilled in him honesty and work, values he portrayed in “The Virginian.” “I’ve always called it The Cowboy Way — If it’s not true don’t say it. If it’s not yours don’t take it and if it’s not right don’t do it. That embodies the philosophy of ‘The Virginian,’” Drury said.

Drury’s mother was born on her father’s vegetable farm on Browns Island, south of Salem, in 1895. She met James Drury, Sr., while taking courses at New York University where he was a marketing professor. Before young James was born, the Drurys bought a beach house at Agate Beach north of Newport, Ore. About the time he was born, they bought a 48-acre blueberry farm just south of Newport’s south jetty. Drury’s mother raised him, his sister and brother there with their grandfather while their father taught in New York and spent summers and holidays with them in Oregon. “I was six years old when the war (World War II) started,” Drury said. “My grandfather and I patrolled the beach for Japanese submarines. I was already carrying a Winchester that he had taught me to use.” Drury attended McKinley Elementary School and Leslie Junior High in Salem. He did some acting in school and some professional acting at age 12. His mother moved them to Los Angeles in an effort to make Drury and his younger brother child movie stars. “She took us to all kinds of auditions.

We never got a job, which was great because child movie stars usually don’t turn out that well,” he said. Drury trained as a classical actor at New York University and worked in theater before going to Hollywood in 1954. He had guest roles in many Westerns before and after his nine years as “The Virginian.” After the show, he honed his horseman skills in Texas. He attends Western events and festivals. On April 11, Drury’s colleague from “The Virginian,” the late actor Doug McClure, who played Trampas, was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Drury, who himself was inducted several years earlier, presented the posthumous award to McClure’s daughter. James Drury - IMDb IMDb Actor James Drury was born on April 18, 1934 in New York City, New York, USA as James Child Drury. He is an actor, known for The Virginian (1962), Forbidden Planet (1956) and Ride the High Country (1962).

He has been married to Carl Ann Head since July 30, 1979. He was previously married to Phyllis Mitchell and Cristall Othoneos (Orton). See full bio » Born: a list of 203 people created 13 Feb 2013 a list of 4584 people created 15 Aug 2013 a list of 47 people created 18 Apr 2015 a list of 1108 people created 12 Sep 2015 a list of 77 people created 4 months ago Do you have a demo reel? Add it to your IMDbPage How much of James Drury's work have you seen?

User Polls 2000 The Virginian (TV Movie) Rider 1960-1962 Wagon Train (TV Series) Cole Crawford / Justin Claiborne 1962 The Detectives (TV Series) Adrian 1961 Perry Mason (TV Series) Eddy King 1961 Stagecoach West (TV Series) Stace 1961 Michael Shayne (TV Series) Eddie 1960 The Rebel (TV Series) Paul Travers / Bert Pace 1960 Bourbon Street Beat (TV Series) Joe Darle 1960 Lock Up (TV Series) Frank Crotty 1960 Men Into Space (TV Series) Maj. Nick Alborg 1960 The Yank (TV Movie) Mathew Dorn 1959 Death Valley Days (TV Series) Joe Plato 1959 Black Saddle (TV Series) Neal Adams - Client: Neal Adams (1959) ...

Neal Adams 1959 Lawman (TV Series) 1958-1959 Zane Grey Theater (TV Series) Roy Richards / Jess McHugh 1958 The Texan (TV Series) Johnny Kaler 1958 The Silent Service (TV Series) Masters 1958 Broken Arrow (TV Series) Tahzay 1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV Series) Michael Grimes 1996 Way Out West (TV Movie documentary) Himself 1974 Mel Tillis Time (TV Series) Himself 1971 Mies Shiloh'sta (TV Movie documentary) Himself 1967-1970 The Hollywood Squares (TV Series) Himself - Panelist 1969 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (TV Series) Himself 1967 Dateline: Hollywood (TV Series) Himself 1999 Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 2 (TV Special documentary) Himself (uncredited) 1958 Frontier Justice (TV Series) Jess McHugh Personal Details Other Works: Unsold pilot: In 1960 he starred in a western pilot about a surgeon wandering the

 West after the Civil War called "The Yank".

See more » Publicity Listings: Did You Know? Personal Quote: [on the death of Doug McClure ] He was very instrumental in the success of the show and probably the best friend I ever had, and we lost him. He died too young, he was only 59, but you think about him everyday. See more » Trivia: In 1971 he appeared in Finland for four appearances in different Mid-Summer festivals. At the time he was very popular there after having been in the TV series The Virginian (1962). He was told that kind of reception he got in Finland was like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra got in the US. See more » Trademark: His Virginian character. See more » Nickname: The Virginian Click here The Virginian The Virginian was kind of a mysterious guy which would suggest that the character would have been very memorable. However, the character that I remember from this show was Trampas, who was a cowhand played by the "oh, so cute" Doug McClure (maybe that's why I remember him)! But he was a series regular and always a part of the action in one way or another.

Background of the Show "The Virginian" was a classic novel written in 1902 by Owen Wister, and was the basis for the TV show of the same name. In this book we were introduced to a strong, silent type of cowboy who was tough and dangerous, but also gallant. And we learned about the Code of the West, the ironclad rules of honor and conduct that the cowboy lived by. By the time The Virginian became a TV show, this code was the standard followed by all of our cowboy heroes. "The Virginian" was also produced 3 times as a motion picture; the most well-known was the version that starred Gary Cooper and Walter Huston in 1929. Here's a interesting sidelight to the original pilot. All About the Show The Virginian first aired in 1962 and ended in 1971. And here's an interesting fact - it was the first 90-minute Western series on TV! Actually it was more like a weekly movie feature. There weren't any gimmicks to this show.

It was one of the leading "adult Westerns" and relied mostly on its strong cast and guest stars to provide solid performances which they did very well for the 9 years that it was on TV. James Drury played the part of The Virginian, who never revealed his real name! He was a mysterious fellow of few words who was always around forcing law and order on eveyone who needed it. The show was set in the Wyoming Territory in the 1890's. All the action took place on or around the Shiloh Ranch which had various owners during the run of the show. But the guy who never changed was (yep, my favorite!) Trampas (played by Doug McClure) - the Shiloh's wild, young cowhand. Only James Drury and Doug McClure were in the show all 9 years. Because of the nature of this Western drama, there was a long list of characters that changed over the years. These included - Judge Henry Garth - played by Lee J.

Cobb from 1962 - 1966 Steve - played by Gary Clarke from 1962 - 1964 Molly Wood - played by Pippa Scott from 1962 - 1963 Betsy Garth - played by Roberta Shore from 1962 - 1965 Randy Benton - played by Randy Boone from 1964 - 1966 Emmett Ryker - played by Clu Gulager from 1964 - 1966 & then again from 1967 - 1968 Belden - played by L.Q.

Jones from 1964 - 1967 Jennifer Garth - played by Diane Roter from 1965 - 1966 John Grainger - played by Charles Bickford from 1966 - 1967 Stacy Grainger - played by Don Quine from 1966 - 1968 Elizabeth Grainger - played by Sara Lane from 1966 - 1970 Sheriff Mark Abbott - played by Ross Elliott from 1966 - 1970 Clay Grainger - played by John McIntire from 1967 - 1970 Holly Grainger - played by Jeanette Nolan from 1967 - 1970 David Sutton - played by David Hartman from 1968 - 1969 Jim Horn - played by Tim Matheson from 1969 - 1970 Col.

Alan MacKenzie - played by Stewart Granger from 1970 - 1971 Roy Tate - played by Lee Majors from 1970 - 1971 Parker - played by John McLiam from 1970 - 1971 Want to see some great still pictures of James Drury and other cast members from "The Virginian"? Click on the center button in the video box below What Happened to the Actors? After "The Virginian" TV series ended in 1971, James Drury appeared in a few movies including "The Virginian" TV movie in 2000. He also starred in another TV series in 1974, "Firehouse", which was a short-lived adventure show about firemen encountering various disasters each week. It ran for only 7 months. James Drury was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City in 1991. He has since been a businessman, in the oil and natural gas business in Houston, TX.

My favorite from "The Virginian", Doug McClure, appeared mostly in commercials for Hamms Beer throughout the 1970's and '80's but did also star in the situation comedy "Out of This World" from 1987 to 1991. Doug McClure died from lung cancer on February 5, 1995 at the young age of 59. What do you remember most about The Virginian? Do you have favorite memories about The Virginian? Please share them here! The Virginian Memories

Question: James Drury starred in which TV western series?
Answer: The Virginian